The Hidden Santuary
by Smoke
Summary: [Abandoned] After Soul Reaver 2, Raziel is abducted
1. The Arrival

Chapter One  
  
Raziel rested on the floor of the Chapter House, not yet willing to move. He contemplated the orboros etched into the floor. Despair and rage suffused his being. The Wraithblade, still bound to his arm, glowed mockingly. Raziel could feel its disappointment, but underneath was a sense of manic patience. The mind of the Wraithblade retreated with its lingering promise. Raziel despaired with the knowledge of his destiny.  
  
The world suddenly shifted and swirled around him. Raziel shut his eyes against the overwhelming sense of vertigo. Unsure of what was now happening, Raziel lay still long after the shifting had receded. He chanced opening his eyes on the bright colors of the material world.  
  
"Welcome, Raziel," a woman's voice said kindly.  
  
Raziel stood and whirled to the source of the voice, brandishing the Wraithblade. "Who are you? Why have you brought me here?" he demanded.  
  
"Please, do not do anything hasty, Raziel," the woman said calmly, "I am Lady Gonawae. I have brought you to my home because it is outside of Nosgoth's history. There is nothing for you to fear here."  
  
Raziel banished the Wraithblade, but narrowed his eyes skeptically. "What makes you think I have anything to fear?"  
  
Lady Gonawae motioned to a dark mirror on the wall. As Raziel stared at it, he saw in a brief flash of light the Wraithblade turning the Reaver on him. Mercifully, the image went dark again before Raziel had to witness himself being impaled by the blade.  
  
"Kain was right when he warned you about the dangers of creating a paradox," Lady Gonawae said. "History will not allow you to escape the Reaver."  
  
"You sound so sure," Raziel said.  
  
Lady Gonawae sighed, "As I said before, History does not exist here. It cannot destroy you for your paradoxes. This is the last place where you are truly safe."  
  
"Safe," Raziel spat the word. "I suspect your motives in bringing me here. I especially doubt that you brought me here just so I could remain safe."  
  
Raziel stormed out of Lady Gonawae's keep. It was not the defendable fortress that Raziel had imagined. It was stone, built to last, but it would not have survived any sort of attack. Raziel did not puzzle on this; he was determined to take action. He considered for a moment, take what sort of action? Frustrated, Raziel growled. His instincts usually drew his eye straight to the correct course, but this time, he was at a complete loss. He resolved to explore this new land he was in, perhaps that would give him a clue as to the lady Gonawae's true intentions.  
  
Raziel found out rather quickly that the keep was surrounded on all sides by impassible mountains. He even doubted that functioning wings would've allowed him to escape. Dejected, Raziel plopped down on the ground to think. His escape was thwarted, and there seemed to be no enemies here, save for perhaps his most recent acquaintance. He certainly was not ready to go to /her/ for answers.  
  
Raziel contemplated the lengthening shadows. How long had it been since he'd had a quiet moment; a day, a week, thousands of years? It didn't matter, it had been too long, too much had happened.  
  
It didn't matter right now that he didn't have lungs, or a throat for his breath to catch in. Raziel's body shook with choking sobs. He let the misery flow through him. "My clan," he groaned. It wasn't just his clan that he was mourning, Raziel realized, but himself as well.  
  
Raziel was exhausted, but he felt a slight weight drop from his heart. It still hurt to dwell on the fate of his clan, but Raziel knew he could now continue without the burning heat of his rage.  
  
A faint tingling warned Raziel that he was slowing becoming energy starved. As he had not yet found any living being in this world, he knew that he must shift to the spectral realm. As Raziel cast off his physical form, his mind was fraught with a slight hesitation. Hopefully he would be able to find a shift glyph somewhere in this valley, or a way to escape into the world beyond.  
  
There was no time to figure that out, however, as Raziel was gripped by some unseen force and dragged swiftly through the twilight of the spectral realm. He landed unceremoniously on Gonawae's intricately woven rug. Raziel fought to maintain his physical form as sparks of energy leaped off his body.  
  
Lady Gonawae knelt at his side. "If you kill me, you'll be trapped here alone," she affirmed.  
  
Raziel tugged at his cowl and drank in Gonawae's spirit. He felt her slowly weakening. Raziel mastered his self-control and released her, still hungry but surprised at how much she had re-energized him. Gonawae collapsed on the rug, dizzily trying to regain control of her senses.  
  
Raziel cast his gaze around the room. He had been so infuriated earlier that he hadn't noticed much about his surroundings. The room was richly appointed with rugs and wall hangings in garish colors. Some of the hangings were familiar to Raziel; there was one that he could identify as coming from the human city in his own era. He wondered about the origins of the ones that he didn't recognize. A table near the hearth gave evidence that Raziel had interrupted Gonawae's dinner. He took a goblet of what he guessed to be wine and brought it to the still swooning lady. She accepted it and drank slowly.  
  
"Why was I brought back here against my will?" Raziel asked.  
  
Gonawae seemed to recover slightly, and she set the glass down on the floor. "I am unsure about the nature of the spectral realm here, or of the creature that was helping you. Without that knowledge, I could not put you to the risk of becoming trapped. Whenever you try to shift to the spectral realm, you will be instantly drawn back here."  
  
"You seemed to have forgotten something," Raziel accused.  
  
"I hadn't counted on you being so difficult," Gonawae said gently, rising to her feet.  
  
"Enough of this, release me," Raziel growled. "I have no wish to remain here with you in this deserted place." 


	2. Not so Empty

Chapter Two  
  
"Raziel, this world is not as empty as I have led you to believe," Gonawae said gently. "I have brought others into this sanctuary. It is simply my practice to hold everyone here until I can be sure that they will not try to kill anyone."  
  
His eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, Raziel was at a loss for words.  
  
"If you promise not to attack anyone, I can take you to meet them right now," Gonawae said.  
  
"This had better not be a deception," Raziel warned.  
  
"I assure you, I am sincere," Gonawae smiled as she said this. "Wait here."  
  
Gonawae crossed the room and opened a hidden panel in the wall. She brought out a strange artifact. It was a large box made of frosted glass, suspended from a brass handle. Gonawae struggled with its weight.  
  
"Allow me," Raziel said as he moved to take it from her, only to jump back as it sounded with an electric crack.  
  
"I think not," Gonawae said. "I don't have to carry it far. This way." Gonawae pulled back one of the tapestries, revealing an alcove in the wall. Raziel followed her inside, and immediately the two were transported to the grand hall of a large citadel. The architecture reminded Raziel of Janos' retreat.  
  
Raziel instantly recognized the winged figures of two ancient vampires crossing the floor to meet them. Others were gliding through high balconies, apparently unconcerned at the new arrivals.  
  
"Who have you brought us this time, Lady Gonawae?" the female said, eyeing Raziel with unmasked curiosity.  
  
"Aros Konwi, Morin Gerad, I would like you to meet Lord Raziel," Gonawae said, her voice impressing on them Raziel's importance.  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Aros said, her eyes shining warmly.  
  
Morin only nodded his head in acknowledgment before turning to Gonawae. "There is a matter that requires your immediate attention," he said darkly. "I told you that no good would come of saving them. We have one locked in the far tower."  
  
"What is he talking about?" Raziel demanded of Gonawae.  
  
"Certainly nothing that I should hide from you, I'm afraid," Gonawae said. She pointed to the artifact at her feet, "Aros, could you please put this someplace safe? We will go see the prisoner straight away."  
  
Aros lifted the artifact easily and flew to a small alcove in the ceiling. She hovered for a moment as she secured it from a dangling chain, and then dropped back to the floor. Morin led the way along a ledge that ran along the outside of the Citadel. The party had a clear view of the landscape dropping away from them. Gonawae hugged the wall, afraid of falling off.  
  
"You had better explain," Raziel growled as he walked behind Gonawae.  
  
"When I built this Sanctuary, I decided to save a sampling of Nosgoth's different races, but I took them from times when they were strong. The Vampiri here have never known war with the Hylden, though they have their differences. There are humans and Vampires here as well," Gonawae paused to indicate what were obviously other citadels, softly lit as twilight stole across the land. "Each race has its own fortress. Despite my efforts, they do not trust each other. The villages are a little more blended."  
  
"The Vampiri and the Hylden?" Raziel asked.  
  
"What you know as the ancient vampires and the adversary race," Gonawae said softly.  
  
The ledge they were walking along suddenly came to an end. Morin spread his arms to Gonawae, and she wrapped hers around his neck. With a swift movement, the two glided across a chasm to the facing cliff. Aros offered her hand to Raziel, but he shrugged her off, judging that he could make the distance alone.  
  
Morin glanced behind him in mild surprise at the creature that could do such a thing on tattered wings.  
  
"You know the tales," Gonawae said.  
  
"Still, I do not see why he must be shown this," Morin sneered.  
  
"I do not like this either, but it would be much worse if he were to learn about it later. He does not trust anymore," Gonawae sighed.  
  
"I would imagine him incapable," Morin muttered.  
  
"They are not animals," Gonawae hissed as they came to a stop on the far side of the chasm. Raziel and Aros finally caught up with them, and all four went inside the tower.  
  
The inside of the tower was gloomy with the failing light. Morin unlocked the gate that barred the entrance. "Be careful, his blood thirst has driven him mad," he warned.  
  
Gonawae crossed to where the pale form was huddled. He wore a straightjacket, and his eyes shone vacantly. "This wasn't caused by the blood thirst," Gonawae said, "There's something else, and I can't do anything for him."  
  
Suddenly, the captive vampire broke free of his bonds. He hurled the straightjacket at his captors and spread leathery wings. He rushed out of the tower and flew off into the night. Morin took off after him, while Aros flew back to the main building of the citadel for reinforcements.  
  
Raziel, who had been silently observing these events, confronted Gonawae, "What is the meaning of this?"  
  
"I did not plan for this to happen," Gonawae said, sinking to the stone floor of the cell, "He belongs to you. I rescued as many of your clan as I could, fortunately Kain had ordered your brothers to leave your people to him. It allowed them to be scattered throughout Nosgoth for years."  
  
Gonawae relaxed slightly as she sensed Raziel's momentary willingness to listen. "The Raziliem are provided for, as they are not allowed to hunt their own food. However a few have begun to lose their minds, they will not submit to the laws or common sense. I am not certain exactly why."  
  
"What is to become of that one?" Raziel sneered.  
  
Gonawae sighed, "What would you have me do?"  
  
Raziel thought for a long moment before turning away.  
  
"I cannot allow such a disturbed creature to wander freely," Gonawae whispered, "The others were destroyed in the gentlest manner we could arrange."  
  
Raziel shifted to the spectral realm, unwilling to hear any more. He knew he would not stay there, but being transported to Gonawae's keep would buy him some solitude. He felt the same force dragging him, but instead he was deposited in the main hall of the Vampiri Citadel. Raziel realized that it was Gonawae's strange artifact that kept dragging him back into the material realm. He glared upwards; the object was far beyond his reach. He fired his telekinetic bolts at it in anger. No matter how carefully he aimed, he could not hit it.  
  
"Raziel, please," Gonawae's voice rang through the hall. It had not taken the Vampiri long to bring her back here.  
  
"I should kill you where you stand," Raziel snarled.  
  
"The others are living quite happily," Gonawae said, terror edging her voice. "Would you like to meet them? They should be down in the village by now, in the tavern. It's called the broken spear."  
  
Raziel turned away in disgust. He trod purposefully out of the hall and leap out into the night. It took him several minutes to glide down to the ground. As soon as his hooves touched the dirt, he was running. 


	3. The Razielhim

A/N: This story is resisting me. I will reach an end to it, but it will take time. (Mental image, Raziel fighting his way through the swamp before he found the air reaver.) This chapter was especially difficult to get right. (I have the deleted versions still, hopefully they will survive until I decide to post them.)

Chapter Three  
  
It did not take long for Raziel to discover the appropriate tavern. He lurked in the shadows, hesitant to approach. He watched as two vampires walked through the entrance. They had wings, clearly marking them as older members of his clan. He felt an overwhelming sense of longing, but he was not yet ready to reveal himself to them.  
  
Raziel clambered up the side of the building to one of the high windows. Here, he could observe his children without being noticed. He saw that the room wasn't very crowded; there were perhaps only forty, and a mere dozen bore wings. Raziel watched as the vampires laughed and talked with each other as they sipped from small glasses. "How perverse," Raziel muttered to himself, "They are acting like humans."  
  
A small cry drew Raziel's attention. He noticed a particularly pale vampire, who was cradling his shoulder. He was marked by two deep but bloodless gashes. A female vampire forced a glass into his talons. "You know you're not supposed to let yourself get so hungry, Michael," she said.  
  
Michael reluctantly took the glass and drank. He lowered it with a grimace. "It doesn't taste right anymore," he said.  
  
Raziel studied this strange vampire that disliked the taste of blood. He narrowed his eyes and managed to detect a slight aura. So, Michael was part wraith. Raziel watched as the sickly vampire was forced to swallow two more glasses of blood. Disgusted, he dropped silently to the ground.  
  
"Provided for indeed," Raziel muttered, "They have managed to tame my once proud kin." He wondered if his descendants had become weak. If so, then this indignity was worse than total annihilation. These creatures would be only shadows of his former clan.  
  
Raziel thought back to the creature, Michael, and wondered. Though blood could be poured into vessels, perhaps even stored, spectral energy was not so easy to contain. If that was what the wretch truly needed, then of course he would not thrive on blood. Yet, if he was not allowed to take anything directly from a living body, he would not get the energy he needed. Yet, Raziel admitted, Michael did manage to survive. Raziel did not feel that he would be so fortunate if the same rules applied to him.  
  
Raziel's thoughts were broken by the crunch of a hoof against gravel. He turned, and saw the pale vampire, who appeared as if summoned. He glowed translucently in the weak light of the stars. His wings were raised, as if trying to make his lean body appear more imposing.  
  
Michael let his gaze linger on Raziel a long moment before speaking. "I see that you were once part of our clan," he challenged. "I did not realize that there were any left to be found. Though it seems that our Lady Gonawae has made a mistake and she was too late to save you. Can you still think, wraith? Do you remember your name?"  
  
Raziel saw that this upstart's courage came from having nothing else to lose. Still, perhaps he would prove himself to be useful. "Do not take that insolent tone with me, child. I do remember my name, though I do not see how it is any of your concern."  
  
Michael broiled with hostility, but he folded his wings and relaxed his stance. "I don't know what to make of you," he sneered.  
  
"Nor do I know what to make of you," Raziel said, "Does blood really satisfy your hunger?"  
  
Michael sighed, exasperated. "That is all there is available. We do not feed on the Humans, the Hylden, or the Vampiri. Not directly, in any case. Did she turn you lose without explaining that?"  
  
"She mentioned it," Raziel said, "though it seems that I cannot conform to her rules."  
  
"Why did Lady Gonawae bring you here, then?" Michael asked.  
  
"She did not give me a satisfactory reason, and I have no wish to rely on her for answers," Raziel said bitterly. "That does leave the unanswered question of how I am supposed to feed."  
  
"Then I suggest you swallow your pride before you starve," a voice rang out from above. A female vampire glided down on the two from the rooftops, her wings arched gracefully to catch the breeze. She was the one who had been forcing Michael to drink back at the tavern. "I don't know where you've been, but I would hate to see you come this far only to die."  
  
"I am beyond death," Raziel said, "and I answer to no one's will but my own."  
  
"Let's go someplace more comfortable then, perhaps you can tell us some more about the world we left behind. I didn't think there was anyone left for her to find." the female said.  
  
Raziel was puzzled by her request. Did his clan know nothing of Kain's empire? "Perhaps," he said carefully, "but still I have questions of my own."  
  
"By the way, my name's Lillandra," she said as she led Raziel down the street, "I believe you've met Michael."  
  
Michael was gloomily following Lillandra. He watched Raziel out of the corner of his eye. He stumbled, though Raziel couldn't decide if Michael was still weak from hunger or simply clumsy.  
  
The trio made their way to a crude lookout tower on the edge of town. It was constructed of stout wooden beams. The two winged vampires flew to the top and settled themselves comfortably on a cushion of old sacks. Raziel swiftly climbed the ladder and crouched at the far end of the platform.  
  
"First, I want to know about you," Raziel commanded, pointing at Michael.  
  
"You want to know how I became what I am today? I was one of the first ones in the sanctuary to grow wings. In my unbridled joy of flight, I grew reckless. I managed to impale myself on a tree limb. It took them years to find me." Michael paused, reflecting. "I brought this on myself, but it has served as a lesson to the others."  
  
"Tell me about the spectral realm here. What did you see in it?" Raziel asked, thinking that perhaps Michael would know if there were gateways here.  
  
"It was desolate," Michael said, realizing that Raziel would know about the distortion and unending twilight of the spirit realm, "There were some wandering souls, and creatures that ate them. Most of it was empty." Michael gazed at Raziel in open curiosity. What was this blue creature looking for?  
  
"Did you see any swirling vortexes of energy on the ground?" Raziel asked.  
  
"No, nothing like that," Michael said, confusion crossing his features.  
  
Raziel sat back for a moment, signaling a momentary pause in his questions. It had been a long time since he had had a conversation with someone who knew less than he did. Somehow, it felt refreshing. Raziel still lacked the knowledge he sought, but for the moment it could wait.  
  
Lillandra spoke next, "What happened to our home?" she asked Raziel, "Lady Gonawae brought most of us here the same year that we lost our leader."  
  
Raziel felt a small flame of rage leap up at the reminder. He took a moment to calm himself before he said, "When I awoke, Nosgoth had sunk even further into decay. The other clans degenerated into monstrous beasts." Raziel decided not to mention that four other clans were without their leaders now. He fell silent, indicating that he would speak no more on the matter.  
  
"Why do you cover your face?" Lillandra asked.  
  
Raziel stiffened. "I don't want to talk about it," he growled.  
  
He was swiftly becoming irritated with this vampire. She was arrogant, Raziel could not fault her for that, but she was also too open. He wondered how she had managed to survive, she was clearly not a fledgling. "What about you? Do you have a story?" Raziel demanded.  
  
"I don't remember anything from before I came here. I had just been fledged," Lillandra said.  
  
"Yet you said that Lady Gonawae brought you here. You must be at least a thousand years old," Raziel said incredulously.  
  
"Lady Gonawae does not age. We're not quite sure if she's as human as she looks," Michael said moodily.  
  
Raziel stood up and declared, "I think it's time to have another talk with Gonawae." He leaped off the tower and used his ruined wings to glide away. He dropped down behind a fence and shifted to the spectral realm. An instant later, he was again in the Vampiri Citadel.


	4. Fledglings

Disclaimer: I don't own Raziel.

A/N: Those of you who are still reading this with the abandoned label, I'm going to explain why it is so. I set up too difficult of a situation for myself in this one, especially since I was so out-of-practice with writing at the time. I'm not going to reveal the unexplained secrets, as I may someday ripp this down and re-write it.

* * *

Raziel picked himself up from the marble floor and looked around. There were a few Vampiri talking quietly on the other side of the entrance hall. Raziel approached them and shouted, "Where can I find Gonawae?"

The two Vampiri shrank away in fear. Suddenly, another person spoke in surprise. "Lord Raziel?"

Raziel turned to the source of the voice. A pale vampire strode towards him. He wore the same clothing as the Vampiri, and his leathery wings were tattooed with a pattern of feathers. "My sire, I had not dared to believe it was true. You've returned to us."

"Ezra, what has been happening here?" Raziel asked. Ezra had not been the first vampire that Raziel had raised, but it was good to see one that he knew well.

"We've been surviving," Ezra said, his tone suggesting his dissatisfaction. "Our small numbers have dwindled over the years. We have only been given four humans and one Vampiri to turn, yet we've lost sixty to accident or madness."

"Why do you not revolt against these conditions?" Raziel asked incredulously as he followed Ezra down a corridor.

"The magic of the other races is too strong. We would die even faster." Ezra said miserably. "At least here we would not turn into monsters. I've seen some of the poor wretches that Lady Gonawae had found in the later times."

Raziel stopped. "What happened to your brothers? Are they here as well?"

Ezra sadly shook his head. "I was a coward and ran. The others did not. That is why most of the others here are ones that left the empire as fledglings. They were afraid."

"What am I to make of your appearance, then?" Raziel asked.

Ezra let his tattooed wings droop and he collapsed against the wall. "I am a traitor to you and everyone who has survived. You should kill me, I will not resist."

"Things are seldom what they appear, Ezra," Raziel said. "First, I want answers, and then I will decide if you truly deserve to die."

"What happened to you, Sire?" Ezra asked in fear.

Raziel felt that it was unlikely that he would find anyone else to confide in. If his own son did not accept him, then he knew that none of his other descendents would. "I had discovered my own past. I thought I had been a noble being, but then I traveled to the past and saw what I really was. I have shifted allegiances several times since my execution."

Ezra started walking down the corridor again. "I have been told of your appetites. Do you need to feed?"

Raziel knit his eyebrows together, his expression of a frown. "Not as yet, but soon. I am curious as to how I am to survive here."

"We have been wrestling with that problem," Ezra said. "There is only one way you can satisfy your hunger. Lady Gonawae is cruel to offer such a price for you."

"What do you mean?" Raziel asked angrily.

"The other three races are protected from predication, but we are not." Ezra said simply.

"I will not feed upon my own clan!" Raziel spat.

Ezra nodded wisely. "There aren't many of us that could accept that. You are our beloved leader, but you are also something darker."

Raziel growled in frustration. "I will not submit to this madness."

Ezra walked on in silence for a moment, then he said, "There is another option."

Raziel was intrigued, but also leery. "What did you have in mind?"

"Lady Gonawae thinks that she could give you a new body, but it requires a sacrifice. You met the one who has succumbed to the madness. He has already been condemned to death." Ezra paused to let this information sink in, then continued reluctantly. "He could be your sacrifice, if you wish to regain some shadow of what you once were."

Raziel did not immediately scream his revulsion for the idea. It fluttered at the back of his mind, like an annoying insect. Raziel wished he could dismiss the notion as abhorrent, but he also used the word to consider his current condition.

"Where are we going?" Raziel asked.

"I have quarters here in the citadel," Ezra said. "They are yours, as long as you shall need them."

"Where will you rest, then?" Raziel asked.

"There are places where one can stay sheltered from the rain, if you know where to look," Ezra said wistfully.


End file.
